MDC-T exposed as Zidera architects
Newsnet/TZG reporters
Fri, 25 Sep 2009 07:59:00 +0000
THE authors and originators of the draconian and racist 2001 so-called Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (Zidera) which is the mother of Zimbabwe’s economic ills have been unmasked.
In an interview on ZBC Current Affairs programme, Melting Pot, on Tuesday, former MDC parliamentarian Gabriel Chaibva categorically stated that Zidera is the brainchild of the MDC-T party and was drafted by top officials from that party at a hotel in Nyanga, Zimbabwe.
“I was there when Zidera was crafted in Nyanga by the MDC. At that point Munyaradzi Gwisai stood up in protest and told everyone present that the MDC had been taken over by the U.S. and Europe and business was no longer controlled from Harvest House…,” said Chaibva.
Chaibva’s revelations put paid to denials by the MDC that they did not call for the imposition of sanctions as they actually drafted the legislation used by the U.S. to impose sanctions on Zimbabwe.
President Mugabe on Thursday said Zidera had been responsible for most of the economic problems faced by the country.
The revelation by Chaibva raises questions as to why the MDC officials who claim to be fighting for the general populace’s well being proceeded to craft a document that triggered the imposition of sanctions which led to the suffering of ordinary Zimbabweans.
Interestingly, the MDC has on numerous occasions stood on high ground, blaming President Robert Mugabe’s policies for the economic horror that innocent Zimbabweans have had to endure in the last nine years.
Recently, the US Assistant secretary for African Affairs Mr. Johnnie Carson said America will only repeal Zidera as and when it sees progress.
This indicates that the Western community does not respect the existence of the inclusive Government in Zimbabwe.
Zidera empowers the US to use its voting rights and influence in multilateral lending institutions, such as the African Development Bank, World Bank and IMF to block any applications by Zimbabwe for finance and credit lines.
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Tue, 29 Sep 2009 17:34:19
Obersever- You are that kind of observer who hears no evil , sees no evil but writes much evil. Your contibution is all but lies, lies and lies. Your first assertion is that Zimbabwe is not under sanctions. You are spewing out the old chestnut that has done its rounds courtesy of western and MDC propaganda . The fact is Zimbabwean sanctions are not targeted and are not merely travel bans and asset freezes for Zanu-PF elites as you wish to mislead the public. The sanctions are economic , real and targeted at the general populace of Zimbabwe. The US Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act of 2001 (ZIDERA) was passed by the US Congress in 2001 and blocks Zimbabwe's access to all the world's major financial agencies, including:
The International Monetary Fund,
the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development,
the International Development Association,
the International Finance Corporation,
the Inter-American Development Bank,
the Asian DevelopmentBank,
the Inter-American Investment Corporation,
the African Development Bank,
the African Development Fund,
the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development,
the Multilateral Investment Guaranty Agency
The US and its allies use their veto powers on the above institutions to deny the govt of Zimbabwe lines of credit, loans and balance of payment support. In addition, forty or so Zimbabwean companies have been put on the sanctions lists including those which deal with farmers and yet these companies provide jobs for ordinaty Zimbabweans to enable them to support their families.
Western businessmen and their companies who work with Zanu-PF govt are threatened with individual huge fines or being put on the sanctions list.
The world revolves around credit and if Zimbabwe cannot borrow from all these financial insitutions , how do you expect the govt to look after its citizens. If one wants to buy a house and the banks are not willing to lend , then one has to forego that house purchase.
The western countries and MDC-T have been quite clever in highlighting only the travel bans and asset freezes and not mention the real core of the sanctions which are the financial ones. The west has also put imposed both declared and undeclared sanctions on Zimbawe. For example, developmental co-operation with Zimbabwe was suspended by all western countries from 2000 onwards. Germany suspended its support for rural development including the maintenace of rural roals, building of small dams,and irrigation schemes. This was obviously meant to disillusion the rural folk so that they get disenchated with the Zan-PF govt and throw it out of govt. The Swedish govt also suspended its school book support programme. Is it the Zanu-PF elite that is hurt by this or is it the ordinary Zimbabwean child that is hurt by such actions? These are only a few of the behind the scenes sanctions that the West has imposed.
ReplyDeleteYour next lie is to try an sell us the myth that Rhodesia under Ian Smith was a paradise.For the majority of black Zimbabweans, Rhodesia was a large concentration camp where our rights and human dignity were trampled upon on a daily basis. You also mention that there was high employment then. This is also another blue lie from you.During most of the 70s, 99% percent of schools, rural clinics and hospitals all but closed and unemployment was 99% amongst the black Zimbabweans. You cannot go on unchalleged when you state that life expectancy was higher during Ian Smith’s time. How did you get that statistics when during colonial /Smith time, the registration of black births and deaths was not a legal requirement until 1980 after independence? I challenge you to go to any district offices in Zimbabwe and count how many black people’ births and deaths were recorded during that period. You know very well that any sane person knows that the short life expectancy in Zimbabwe has been due to HIV/Aids and lack of antiretrovial drugs.
You also point out that under Ian Smith, Rhodesia was under full UN mandated sanctions. On paper yes, but in practice no. The same western countries helped Smith to evade the sanctions. Produce and goods from Rhodesia were relabelled and foud their way to western countries with their tacit support. Apartheid South Africa and the West supplied Rhodesia with all the goodies including guns and ammunition, napalm, biological weapons and mercenaries to kill the black Zimbabweans.
ReplyDeleteYou are also lying that Smith handed to Zanu-PF an economy that was robust, diverse etc. The war between 1965 and 1979 had weakened the Rhodesian economy and the fact that 90% of the country was no longer governable and Smith was reduced to the Mayor of the city of Harare meant that he was forced to the negotiating table in 1979. During the sanctions era, the whites did enjoy because the economy was there to serve their interests but the rest of the country suffered. Fuel coupons, rationing,lack of basic food stuff, starvation and lack of transport were all part and parcel of the experience of the majority of black people in Rhodesia. Lastly your argument that Smith’s lot was clever to develop a functioning economy under sanctions is bankrupt because the West and Apartheid South Africa supported Ian Smith all the way. Zimbabwe was doing very well during the first decade of independence and then embarked on a disastrous ESAP programme (from 1991-1999) that was imposed and designed very poorly by the World Bank/IMF. The West was effectively running the economy of Zimbabwe during this period.
This structural adjustment programme weakened the Zimbabwean economy.
The West knew this but went on to impose economic sanctions to bring the economy down and separate the people of Zimbabwe from Zanu-PF . All this information Observer is in the public domain. You are being economic with the truth when you try to rewrite history so that it fits the propaganda from the West and MDC. No sane Zimbabwean wishes for the return of Rhodesia. Ian Smith was an evil man who should not have been extended the hand of reconciliation. Here is an example of his legacy: Rhodesia - The Nyadzonya Raid
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vs7V_IBQcDg
Fortunately, the majority of Zimbabweans do not buy into your lies Observer. Nice try though at trying to hoodwink Zimbabweans.
PS, these are comments posted at the original article at Talkzimbabwe.com - they are not my comments, although I support them wholeheartedly.
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